Stereotype casting mold



July 30, 1935. R, T. EDWARDS STEREOTYPE CASTING MOLD Filed Nov. 18, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

July 30, 1935. R, T. EDWARDS STEREOTYPE CASTING MOLD Filed Nqv. 18, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Patented July 30, 19 35 UNITED STATES s'rmmo'ryrn CASTING Mom Robert '1'. Edwards, New York, N. Y., assignor to R. Hoe & 00., Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York; Irving Trust Company,

permanent trustee Application November 18, 1931, seen No. 575,769

.10 Claims.

The invention relates to molds for casting stereotype printing plates from matrices and as herein disclosed, provides a casting mold having two casting chambers that may be brought-into '3 operation alternately. Thus, after a plate is cast and while the metal is hardening, the operator may prepare the second mold for the next casting operation. This preparatory work being completed, the second mold is then closed and 1 the first mold is simultaneously opened. It has been found that by the use of such a mold, a single operator can produce fully twice as many plates as when using a mold of the usual form.

An object of the invention is to provide a cast- 15- ing mold that will reduce the time required for casting a number of plates.

Another object of the invention is to provide a casting mold having two casting chambers that may be used in alternation, and so arranged that 20 the operator may prepare one chamber for easting a plate, while a plate previously cast in the other chamber is cooling.

Another object of the invention is to provide a casting mold having matrix holding gauges that 2 maybe quickly adjusted for casting plates of durable and inexpensive in' construction, as well as convenient, practical, serviceable and efiicient' in its use. i

With the foregoing andother objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds,

the invention resides inthe combination and arrangement of parts, and in the details of construction hereinafter described and. claimed, it being understood that various changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein dis closed may be made within' the scopefof what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1' shows a side view of the improved casting mold in position where one casting chamber is closed and the otheris opened;

Figure 2 shows a vertical elevation vof the mold as seen in the direction of arrow 2 of Figure 1;

-'Flgure 3 shows a sectional plan view of a portion of the mold as viewed on the line of arrow 3 of Figure 1;

? Figure 4'shows a fragmentary'view'ot aportion 'ofthe mold illustrating portions of one of y the adjustable side gauges; and I Figure-5 isa fragmentary view partly in section showing details of the side gauge supporting mechanism as-sen in the direction of arrow 5' of Figure 4.

- Referring to the drawings, II indicates a base frame to which a double faced fixed casting mold member I? is secured. A support 13, is pivotally carried on screws 14 secured to' the fixed mold member 12 and movable mold members l5 and I6 are secured to thesupports 43 by means of screws l1. It will-be seen that the mold members I5 and 16 are fixed with relation tof'each other by the common support I 3 and they may be swung about the pivots I 4 was to bring either mold into casting relation with the fixed mold member I2, and that when either-mold member is in such relation, the other one is in the horizontal or open position. I V

Latches I8 are pivotally supported'on screws |9,'secured to the fixed mold member i2, and centering springs- 2l-,*act to bias the latches i8 to the position shown in Figure 1. Locking shafts 22 are rotatably supported in each of the movable niold-memb'ers-IS and I6 and are provided with heads 23, in the faces of which,-locking pins 24 are e'ccentrically supported. Operating levers 25 are secured to the locking shafts 22, and it will be seen that when a shaft is rotated the pins 24 will cooperate with the latches |8-to draw the movable member into close relation with the fixed mold member. The handle of the mold member I 5, as shown in Figure 1, is moved to the unlocked position. The handle of the mold member l6, as shown in full lines in Figure 1 is in a partially unlocked position and as in dotted lines is in the fully locked position. 7 p Y A sprihg 26 is arranged to bear against a hub of the lever 25and acts to holdit in either the locked or unlocked position. Disengaging pegs 21 in thelocking pins Mare soplaced that when the handle is moved upward, they operate to raise the latch l8 andthus release the mold.

Spring? bumpers are furnished to cushion the fall of the movable mold members when they are turned to'the open position, and comprise coil springs .28, one end of each of which is secured.

to arod 29 that is supported in bracketed secured to the mold member I2. The opposite ends of the coil springs are extended'and connected to rods 32 which engage 'with striking plates 33 secured to'the movable'mold members; Handles 34 are provided at each side of the'mo'vablemold members ior convenience in operation. I r The spring bumpers also serve to maintain the'movable mold members approximately in balance, the weight of the adjacent movable mold member when in the horizontal position being practically counterbalanced by the spring 28, then exerting its greatest pressure, thus permitting the manipulation of either mold member with a minimum effort on the part of the operator, in a position where ordinarily the maximum effort of the operator is required. As the horizontally positioned movable mold member swings upwardly and the vertically positioned mold member swings downwardly, the lessening efiect of the' spring is "oompensated for by the Weight of the descending mold member so that equilibrium is approximately maintained regardless of the position of the movable mold members. I

In the embodiment of the invention shown, provision is made for cooling the fixed mold member by means of circulating a suitable fluid through cavities in the member in accordance with well known practice, and the movable mold members are preferably formed with ribs to dissipate the heat incident to the casting operation.

The fixed mold member [2 is provided with casting surfaces on. its opposite sides, each of which. form one side of a mold chamber, the opposite side being formed by the adjacent surface of the movable mold member when it is moved into casting position. The bottoms of the casting chambers are formed by head gauges indicated at 35, and the narrow sides of the casting chamber which form the side edges of the plate, are formed by a novel arrangement of side gauges which are adjustable to receive matrices of various widths, The body of each of these gauges is indicated by the numeral 36, and is provided with extended arms 31, which are slidably supported in hinge members 38, that are pivotally supported brackets 39, secured to the frame of the movable mold members l5 and l6. 7

A spring 4| acts on a plate 42 to turn the hinge member on its pivot 43 andpress the side gauge against the surface of the casting mold member. An operating bar 44 is secured to the extended arms 31 and provides a convenient handle whereby when the mold is opened, the side gauges may be moved toward or away from each' other, to accommodate matrices of various widths, and the spring members being provided with but little clearance for the passage of the arms 31, the side gauges 36 will be maintained in parallelism with each other.

In operation, with the mold member l5 inthe position shown in Figure 1, a matrix from which it is desired to cast a plate is placed in position with one edge adjacent the head gauge 35. The operator then moves the side gauges into position so that they slightly overlap the edge of the matrix, and when he releases the handles the gauges are pressed down on the matrix by the springs, thus securing the matrix in position. It is also customary to insert a piece of cardboard of the same width as the matrix, in position slight- 1y overlapping its upper edge and extending. up to the top of the mold, in order to prevent molten metal from running down behind the matrix. The mold is then movedto the vertical position corresponding to the position in which the member l6 isshown in Figure 1, and locked by operation of the lever 25.. The plate is then cast in accordance with the usual practice.

- Itwill be noted that the mold member I6 is moved away from the position shown in Figure 1 simultaneouslywiththe moving of the-member l5.

to the casting position, and the operator may then place another matrix in position on the mold member I 6, while the plate cast against the mold member [5 is cooling. The mold member [6 will then be moved into casting position and the plate removed from the mold member I5. It will thus be seen that the plates may be cast successively without the operator losing time in waiting for the plates to cool-between casting operations, for the time necessary for cooling is occupied in the preparation of the mold for casting the succeeding plate. The side gauges 36 are formed with enlarged tail pieces 45 which overlap the funnel-shaped channels 46 that are formed in the movable mold members, the purpose of these being to prevent the molten metal from running outside the gauges when they are moved close togetherin casting narrow plates.

What I claim is:

1. In a'stereotype plate casting device, a fixed mold member, and two movable mold members arranged to swing about a common axis and alternately cooperate with opposite faces of the fixed member to form casting molds.

2. In a stereotype plate casting device, a fixed mold member, two movable mold members arranged to swing about a common axis and alternately cooperate with opposite faces of the fixed member to form two casting molds, and means for simultaneously moving the movable members.

3. In a stereotype plate casting device, a double faced mold member, a pivoted support rotatable with respect to the double faced member, and two single faced mold members secured to the support.

4. In a plate casting device, a fixed member having two mold faces, two movable members pivotally supported to move about a common axis with respect to the fixed member and. each having a mold face adapted to cooperate with a mold face on the fixed member to form a casting mold, and means for locking either of the movable members to the fixed member when the other member is disengaged therefrom.

5. In a'stereotype plate casting device, a fixed mold'member, a movable mold member adapted to receive a matrix, side gauges on the movable mold member, springs for the side gauges ar: ranged to hold the matrix in position when preparing to cast a plate, and means for adjusting the side gauges laterally to cast plates of various widths.

6. In a stereotype plate casting device, a fixed mold member, a movable mold member adapted to receive a matrix, a pair of side gauges adapted to yieldingly hold the side edges of the matrix in position preparatory to casting a plate, and

means for adjustingeither side gauge with respect to the other while maintaining the said gauges in parallelism.

'7. In a stereotype plate'casting device, a fixed mold member, a movable mold member adapted to receive a matrix, a plurality of side gauges,

plates, a fixed member having two mold faces,

plates, a fixed member having two mold faces, two single faced mold members movable simultaneously about a common axis and alternately into cooperative relation with the double faced member to form casting molds, and weight counteracting means acting on each movable mold member to maintain the single faced mold members approximately in balance.

10. In a device for the casting of stereotype two single faced mold members movable simultaneously about a common axis and alternately into cooperative relation with the double faced a mold members for casting molds, and spring pressed means engageable with each movable mold member to maintain same approximately in balance.

ROBERT T. EDWARDS. 

